Chapter 52: The Next Day

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When I finally woke up, I found myself sitting on a hospital bed. I guess I ended up getting hospitalized by my brother, huh? I was actually alright and just needed some rest, but he certainly panicked.

A TV stuck to the wall in front of me was showing the news from yesterday, showing the giant carcass of a Frost Dragon that was collectively slain by many Hunters, with no casualties whatsoever.

"Last night, a Dungeon Break within the streets of Stronghold City's China Town happened, which ended up absorbing all the people inside a small restaurant. It has been reported that around seventy percent of the people survived."

"I can't believe what's going on in this city nowadays, Clarice."

"Indeed, and that's not all, Patrick. As a giant Frost Dragon, an A+ Rank Monster ended up breaking out of the Dungeon only a few hours after it opened! Thanks to the bravery of the many Hunters in our city, countless casualties were avoided completely as the Dragon breathed its last just a few minutes after breaking out."

"I heard that Hunter Jack was there, wasn't he?"

"Indeed! Though… as asocial as ever, we attempted to ask him any questions, yet he chose not to interact with us."

My brother appeared there, as the reporters were constantly trying to ask him anything, but he was not answering, simply walking past them.

Based on what I saw, the Dragon was the Dungeon Boss, and once it was killed, the Dungeon quickly closed itself. And any other corpse that was inside.

This is why people who often get caught inside Dungeons who aren't Hunters are never found; the dungeons close, sealing anything inside as well.

It seems that a lot of Hunters cooperated to slay the giant. In the news, they showed some guild members of various other famous guilds in the USA who all had their own groups in Stronghold.

Stronghold, after all, is one of the biggest cities in the country, and many Hunting Grounds are located on the outskirts. Dungeons also open up all the time, due to being a densely populated city.

After all, in the novel I read, it was explained that Dungeon Breaks happened most frequently when there were large quantities of people around. The Mana that people emanate naturally condenses and creates Gates leading to Dungeons.

However, such a thing was only found out much later in the story, thanks to the research of various scientists. However, even after such a truth was revealed, people weren't really willing to disperse around the world, even more so when the outskirts of cities became wastelands due to the First Awakening event.

In that time, it was pretty much an apocalypse where monsters appeared everywhere, destroying cities and killing people everywhere. A lot of cities were abandoned, while many others were fortified and enhanced for the growing population, such as Stronghold.

Monsters came out of Gates all the time, and they dispersed, multiplied, and created various Wild Areas where monsters dominated. Hunters usually go there to hunt as well, and they have been controlled enough to become something like Newbie Hunting Areas.

My brother, at the beginning of the novel, visited several of these areas to level up quickly. Maybe I should visit them and clean them off monsters completely; even if that's going to make some of the people monopolizing them mad, they're a threat to society.

Aside from what I saw in the news, nothing new was shown either. I felt slightly sleepy, so I was thinking about sleeping for a while before my brother or someone else arrived.

The door slowly opened, and I saw Dan Baihe entering; she looked really sad and worried. However, her face changed the moment she saw me awake.

"A-Anna?! You're awake!" She jumped over the bed, crushing me.

"Uuaagh! Baihe, be more careful; you're crushing my ribs!" I cried.

"S-Sorry!" She quickly calmed herself down. "Are you okay? You slept for a whole day.

"A whole day?!" I asked in surprise. "Ugh… I feel a bit dizzy, and I feel exhausted all over, but overall, I am fine. How has everything been handled? Ah, is my brother okay? What about Henrietta? And where did you sleep? Your house was destroyed, isn't it?"

"You're asking too much." Baihe sighed as I saw Violet and Snow jump into her coat. They were hiding there to enter the hospital, most likely.

"Kyuu!"

"Woof! Arf!"

The two jumped over me and started licking me.

"I am happy to meet you two again as well... Ugh, but don't be so rough." I sighed.

"They've been sticking with me ever since you fell asleep." Baihe sighed. "So anyways, your brother is fine; he just recently went to check on Henrietta, who had woken up recently. She's also fine and healthy; you healed her completely, but we decided not to share this information with anyone else."

"Phew, that's a relief." I sighed as I began controlling my own Ki and Mana and making them flow around my body. My exhaustion was beginning to fade away quickly through a simple Breathing Technique to calm my body pain.

"And I just slept here." Baihe sighed. "I've been worried all night... I am happy you're fine."

"Thanks, and I think I should be ready to move," I said.

"Huh? But they said you should at least rest for a week!" Said Baihe.

"A week?! Do they think I have enough time to waste?" I sighed. "Come on, let's get up for now."

I quickly stood back up, Ki and Mana flowing around my body as a golden aura exuded from within my body. I felt much stronger than before, perhaps due to the combination of the many new Skills I have and the stat boosts from leveling up.

[Due to your great accomplishments in the Dungeon, several Skills have leveled up.]

[The [Little Sister (F)] Skill has Ranked up to E Rank!]

[The [Gatherer (E)] Skill has Ranked up to D Rank!]

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[Player Name]: [Anna]

[Title]: [Protagonist's Little Sister]

[Physique]: [Seven Colored Sun Physique (Tier 1: Rank 8)]

[Level]: [35/40]

[EXP]: [21850/35000]

[HP]: [822/822]

[MP]: 712/712]

[KI]: [365/365]

[STR]: [538]

[VIT]: [535]

[DEX]: [569]

[AGI]: [639]

[INT]: [627]

[WIS]: [650]

[LUC]: [-14500]

[CHM]: [9683]

[Innate Skills (16)]

[Little Sister (E): Lv5] [Gatherer (D): Lv6] [Crafting (E): Lv4] [Mana Sense (E): Lv6] [Twin Cutter (D): Lv5] [Venom Secretion (D): Lv5] [Charlatan (D): Lv5] [Sunshine (B): Lv5] [Cooking (E): Lv3] [Alchemy (E): Lv4] [Anubis' Judgement (S): Lv2] [Ruler of the Dead (S): Lv2] [Divine Eye of Truth (S): Lv2] [Crafty Trickster (C): Lv2] [Half-Beast Demonic Transformation (B): Lv2] [Sunlight Blade (B): Lv2] [Great Sorceress (S): Lv2]

[Privileges (11)]

[Maiden of Life (S Rank Privilege)] [Jester's Reverse Fortune (S Rank Privilege)] [Death's Little Sister (B Rank Privilege)] [Spartan Army Commander (B Rank Privilege)] [Sun's Beloved Maiden (E Rank Privilege)] [Super Beam of Love (D Rank Privilege)] [Angelic Eyes (D Rank Privilege)] [Little Sister's Cheerful Rally (E Rank Privilege)] [Let's be Friends! (F Rank Privilege)] [Little Rabbit's Fearlessness (F Rank Privilege)] [Heartwarming Bear Hug (F Rank Privilege)]

[Plot Points]: [16500] [Skill Points: 270] [Stat Points: 310]

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I am already at Level 35; that's not bad at all! I should probably get the other five levels in any Dungeon at this point. My stats have increased very nicely, though Baihe's stats seem just as high, with her MP and INT beating mine by a lot.

Oh, and above all, inside my inventory, there was a large red orb containing a fragment of the soul of Leviathan. It was named "Archdemon Leviathan Soul Fragment Orb," and it was a special S+++ rank item!

Now, figuring out how I can get stronger using this is my next goal, among the many I have right now.

"E-Eh? You're waking up right now?" Baihe asked.

"I can't really rest any more than this." I sighed.

"You really should take a break," Baihe said.

"Don't worry! I'm going to make you work just as hard! We've got to get even stronger, Baihe. I cannot rely on that power I used back then for everything after all." I said.

Anubis' Judgement has a 24-hour Cooldown, and it might also not work on any foe. Only those who have committed a lot of sins. I cannot use it for everything either, as more than often, we're fighting many monsters at once.

I quickly opened the Hunter's Shop and put up for sale several carcasses of monsters from the Dungeon. I had so many that it was ridiculous; I was going to gather a lot of money for the ingredients I needed.

It is a pity I wasn't able to steal the dragon, though. but well, whatever.

After wearing my clothes and washing my face, we stepped outside the hospital. Some of the nurses tried to stop me, saying I had yet to rest enough, but I ignored them.

Baihe showed me where Henrietta was, and I silently entered the room, finding my brother there, alongside Kevin and Henrietta.

"If it wasn't for your incompetence, my sister wouldn't have almost died!" Said Kevin, roaring back at my brother.

Jack, however, didn't bark back and remained silent.

"Yeah, you're right." Jack sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Uwaaah! What are you saying, Kevin?! It was all MY fault! I did the things I did because I had to! I needed to defeat Darius; I needed to end that; it isn't Jack's fault! If anything, it is all mine." Henrietta said. "Stop blaming Jack for it!"

"But sister…" Kevin sighed.

"Well, you're also pretty weak," I said, entering the room. "What right do you have to blame my brother for this when you couldn't even defeat a bunch of small fry monsters?"

"E-Eh? You?!" Kevin almost had a heart attack when he noticed me entering the room.

The young blonde man was quite handsome, I had to admit, but his aptitude was very irritating.

"Anna?!" Jack was shocked, immediately hugging me once he saw me awake. "You're awake already! Are you okay?!"

"I am as fine as I could be!" I said while crossing my arms. "More importantly, Henrietta, are you feeling better? No side effects?"

"Anna…" Henrietta said. "I heard what you did for me from Jack. I… thank you so much." She started crying while smiling. "I really thought I would die back then."

"Yeah, you even confessed your love for my brother; we all heard it." I laughed.

"You did that, bis sis?!" Kevin asked angrily.

Henrietta suddenly started getting as red as a tomato; I could even notice steam coming out of her ears.

"Uwaah! I really did say it?! I thought it was a dream!" Henrietta cried, covering her face with her hands.

My brother avoided eye contact with her, as he blushed a bit. The cold, expressionless face of his was nowhere to be found, heheh.

[Your Privileges are activating all at once, improving the relationship between [Main Character: Jack] and [Character: Henrietta]!]

[Your high CHM Stat is helping their bond grow stronger…]

[Some Constellations that love romance are highly pleased]

[They have sponsored 1000 Plot Points.]

Wow, I can even do that.

[The Cosmic Throne {Divine Judge of Flames} is grateful for what you've done for Henrietta, his loved incarnation, which he sees as his daughter.]

[He has sworn to aid you and become an active sponsor in your future endeavors.]

[The Cosmic Throne {Divine Judge of Flames} has further sponsored 2000 Plot Points.]

Would you look at that? It seems like I am getting a new sponsor.

"Anna, did you have to say it like that?" My brother said, trying to calm his embarrassment a bit.

"Y-Yeah! It's not like… I said it while being conscious!" Henrietta said.

"Right?" My brother nodded. "So let's not jump the shark here."

"Indeed!" Henrietta nodded.

The two were desperately trying to cope with the situation and convince each other that what happened there wasn't something real. But it was more than real to us!

"Heh, they make a cute couple." Baihe giggled.

"Yeah, right? And-"

"Hello~? Is someone here? Oh my! Am I interrupting something special today?"

Suddenly, the figure of a beautiful, tall, gorgeous red-haired woman with sharp purple eyes wearing a black blouse and dark jeans entered the room.

"S-Scarlet? What are you doing here?!" My brother asked in surprise. "Weren't you in Japan completing a three-floor Floor Dungeon?"

"Hello, Jack! Ahhh~ I am so happy you're doing alright! I've finally come back from my trip overseas and look what I found—it seems like you've been going on adventures behind my back!" She giggled. "And of course, we've already completed it, heh~ Oh my? Who is this little girl over here?"

She completely ignored Henrietta and Kevin, as if they didn't exist, and instead put her big, purple eyes on me…

Ugh… the second love interest has entered the stage.

Scarlet, the Blood Empress.

"N-Nice to meet you… I am Jack's little sister, Anna…" I sighed.

"Oooh?! Your little sister?! Oh my god!" Scarlet hugged me, lifting me off the floor.

I regret saying Henrietta was annoying; Scarlet is much more annoying.

[The Cosmic Throne {Emperor of the Blood Throne} thinks you're suspicious.]

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And we're back! A brand-new arc is upon us, and a lot of new characters as well! If you can't wait any longer, you can check the Patreon, there's now 20 Chapters ahead, for only $10! There's also some initial sketch of a new original cover, not generated by AI, if you want to check that out: https://www.patreon.com/pancakeswitch